


Legacies

by Angryniall



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, One Direction, niall horan - Fandom
Genre: Descendants - Freeform, F/M, one direction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryniall/pseuds/Angryniall
Summary: Based in the world of the Descendants. Niall and Amal are natural enemies as the children of Cinderella and Anastasia (one of the “ugly stepsisters”). When Prince Harry decides to allow four children of villains to integrate back into Atlantica, he hopes to right a moral wrong. Can these villain kids hold good within their hearts?
Relationships: Harry Styles/OFC, Niall Horan/OFC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

30 years ago

The world has been ravished in the fight of good versus evil. While most of the evil performed by the world’s most wicked is performed against the crown, everyday citizens also find themselves pulled into the fights, from massive casualties to family ruin from spells cast. By the time the Villanova Treaty is signed, everyone is just done with evil kind.

The villains didn’t go to their new home willingly, but one by one, all were caught and banished to the island of Villanova.

Instead of rotting in jail cells, Prince Eric of Atlantica fought for the villians to have a place to call home. While there were the “big baddies,” like Maleficent, many of the evil beings sent to Villanova represented people who had simply lost their way at one time or another.

It wasn’t fair to subject them all to unbridled torture. Instead, they were allowed to build and live on the shores of Villanova. The island was sealed by a magical barrier which allowed nobody out.

For the first decade or so, Prince Eric kept a steady eye on the happenings of Villanova. He established a census to keep track of who was on the island and led a program for reformed members of evil to earn their way back on the island.

After a decade, most of the petty criminals and those who Eric believed could be redeemed were integrated back into society.

Besides a weekly shipment of food, Eric left Villanova to its own devices. It was technically a part of his rule, but the citizens of Villanova had formed their own miniature society.

As the adults of Villanova started to reproduce, the topic of their kids was briefly brought up. However, Eric quickly decided that it was inhumane to separate parents and children.

Thus, the Villain Kids were born onto an island with a magical barrier. They were offered no access to technology, received mostly rotting and stale food from the mainland, and their schooling consisted of what their parents had hastily put into place with limited resources.

——

Present Day

Harry paces his room in the castle. It’s coming up on his 21st birthday and, as per tradition, he has to make a proclamation to the kingdom. Technically Eric, his father, will make the proclamation in his honor, but his subjects will know that it came down from Harry himself.

As he walks back and forth and practically burns a hole in the floor, all he can hear is his dad’s advice to help calm his nerves. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, son. You’re only 21. Just something to let them know that you’ll be a fair and just king.

Because that’s so easy. Harry can’t help but feel that whatever he chooses will carry a weight on his name for the rest of his parent’s reign. If he chooses something dumb, the citizens might revolt before he can be crowned. Something completely revolutionary and he might turn the more conservative citizens against him.

And that is what is the biggest issue. The proclamation that he wants to make, the one to correct a moral wrong from well before his own birth, is revolutionary.

He grew up hating the idea of the Villain Kids being locked away on an island and barred from communication from the outside world.

He’s aware that he has done nothing to deserve being born into his role as a prince and, eventually, a king. Nothing more than one of them has done to deserve a life of banishment.

The stories that he grew up hearing were never meant to lay sympathy in anyone on the island. !!Ursula stole your mom’s voice, of course we wouldn’t want her roaming, plotting, seeking revenge on us or you for outsmarting her. We had to lock her away for the good of us and the kingdom.

That was the answer he received every time he asked his father about the island. The narrative was always framed around the villains themselves. Everyone here saw their kids as extensions of their parents.

With prejudices like that, how likely were they to really become good people?

Harry shakes away the thought. He hates thinking like that, making them out to be destined for a life of evil. If he was the one stuck on the island, he would want someone to stick up for the good in his heart.

He grabs the journal his grandfather gave him and turns to a marked page. He has been wrestling with which kids to allow over in the beginning, if he were to make this his proclamation.

Harry has put a lot of thought into it. He has scoured the Census of Villian Kids at the library to see which villains’ kids would have the least protest over coming.

If he can bring a few over and show everyone that the villain’s kids do have good within them, it’ll be easier to bring the more dangerous villain’s children over later.

Harry goes over the four people he’s chosen: Gretchen, Gothel’s daughter; Yosie, Yzma’s daughter; Henry, Han’s son; and Amal, Anastasia’s daughter.

From the limited information included in the old census information, all four seem like viable first candidates for his villain kids rehabilitation program.

The census included small notes made by the workers. Until each kid was around 10 years old, there’s some information about their interests. That’s part of the reason Harry was drawn to having this program and the reason why he chose these four kids.

Gretchen worked with her mom at a hair salon. Harry saw several notes in the census about her work ethic. While all of the kids will stay in the castle with him, he tried to brainstorm positions they could apprentice in based on their interests. There’s a local salon in Atlantica that Harry thought would be a wonderful apprenticeship for her.

Yosie was noted as being into baking and cooking. The man who ran the census noted that she provided him with the most delicious creations, which intrigued Harry. If she has kept the same interests, Harry already planned on having her apprentice with Lorn, the royal chef.

Henry had many marks about loving sports and Harry knew instantly that he would be a great fit with him and his friends. There were mentions of several different kinds, from skiing to surfing. Henry was one of the first kids that he came across in the census and he was instantly added to Harry’s list. Harry sees him as working with the team at the castle to set up sporting events for his family for the citizens to watch and participate in.

Amal’s profile was the barest of the four, with the only mentions of her interests being rather brief. But the main reason Harry chose to bring her over was because her census mentioned specifically that she was close with Yosie. Harry figured it would be easiest on the kids to transition with their friends by their side rather than ones that they might not know or be comfortable around. Because of the incompleteness of the census, Harry hasn’t decided on her position yet.

While he has done his due diligence on picking the villain kids, Harry has some reservations about how accepted they will be in Atlantica. He knows Rapunzel still has massive claustrophobia from being locked in the tower most of her life. She was one of the main champions for locking up Gothel and the rest of the villains. But would she hold this grudge against Gretchen?

Kuzco has been a fair ruler since the days he dealt with Yzma. He’s even mentioned to Harry when he was younger that he thought the experience helped shape him into the king he is today. But would he believe that Yosie wasn’t try to poison him in honor of her mother?

Anna struggled with feeling as if everyone who loved her was out to hurt her and steal her family’s fortune and name. It took her years before she could allow another love into her life. Would she be willing to give Henry a chance to be different from his father?

And Amal. She is the one he’s worried about the most. His best friend, Niall, is Cinderella and Prince Charming’s son. Harry knows that Niall more readily believes in the necessity of Villanova.

Harry has been hesitant to bring his idea up to his friend at all, knowing that Niall might have objections for something that Harry feels is right. On top of convincing Niall to give the Villain Kids an opportunity at all, Harry wants to invite the daughter of his mom’s ex-stepsister. It’s a lot to ask of his friend.

That’s why he has gone back and forth with Amal, wondering if he should swap her out for another Villain kid, one who won’t possibly upset his best friend.

Yet every time, something within Harry tells him that he should give her more of a chance because of it. If he can get Niall on his side with someone who hurt his family, then he has a chance to get all of the kingdom on his side.

Harry traces the names with his finger as he once again tries to talk himself out of making this his proclamation when his dad knocks on his door. “Harry, got a minute?”

He closes his journal quickly and pushes it aside, “of course, what’s up dad?”

Eric sits on the bed next to his son. He’s noticed that Harry has been more withdrawn lately. From the few conversations they’ve had, Eric knows that his proclamation is weighing on his soul. He wants to be there for his son and help him navigate the difficulties of the crown while he can. “Are you nervous?”

Harry eyes the journal laying next to him and takes a gulp. He avoids his dad's eyes as he nods, “I have something I want to do. That I think is the right thing to do. But I’m worried about how it will affect the other royals and the kingdom.”

Eric nods, “is this about the proclamation?”

Harry sighs and turns towards his father, meeting his eyes. “I know you said that it doesn’t have to be a grand proclamation. That I can do something small just to announce that I’m of age and involved in the laws of the land. But-“

He trails off and his eyes fall to his bed. Eric places a finger underneath Harry’s chin and lifts it so their eyes meet once more. “But you want it to mean something?”

Harry nods, “and there’s something that I’ve thought about for years. I think I could use this proclamation as a way to see it out. But it won’t be easy.”

“Harry, being a King isn’t always easy.” Eric rubs his son’s back, “you’ll never please everyone. Being a good king means figuring out what is right and hoping that your good intentions will yield good results.”

Harry runs his hands over his comforter, “but what if what results are bad? What if the worst outcome happens?”

Eric sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “You know, that’s a worry I struggle with everyday. Good intentions only get us so far and people remember us by the outcomes more than our intentions. It’s not easy to overcome, Harry. But you have to believe that what you’re doing is right and just and let whatever happens happen. You can’t control the future, all you can do is manage the results from the choices we make.”

Harry grabs the journal and opens it to the page with his notes. “What I want to do is just and fair.” He says to himself under his breath, “and I have to believe that things will work out.”

Eric smiles and places a kiss on his son’s head. He pulls him in for a hug and whispers, “I’ve always been proud of you.”

Harry returns his father’s hug. His fingers hover over the four names on the page as he contemplates telling his dad his decision. He takes a deep breath before showing him the journal. “I want to give the kids of Villanova a chance.”

He searches his dad’s face and he doesn’t miss the way his dad’s jaw drops, the shock evident.

"I have to believe that what I’m doing is right and just." He thinks.

Harry continues, “they are not their parent’s mistake. They’ve been locked away their entire lives for a crime they did not commit. I want to give a group of four of them a chance to prove to us that they are good.”

It’s hard for Eric to wipe the shock off his face. It’s harder for him to admit that what Harry is saying is correct and maybe he wasn’t right in locking them away with their parents all those years ago.

“You’re right. It won’t be easy,” Eric starts, “and it could have bad results. But I understand your reasoning. If this is the proclamation you want to make, I will support you 100%.”

“Thanks dad.” Harry smiles and gives him another hug. He sits back against the bed and he feels his worries fall off his shoulders. “I want to talk to Niall about it before I do. I’m thinking about bringing Anastasia’s daughter over. I don’t want it to be a surprise.”

Eric pauses with his hand on his son’s leg. “You might want to talk to all of the people affected by this before you make it. Having them in your court will help with any backlash you might receive.”

Harry nibbles on his bottom lip. He knows his father is correct, but he’s scared that he’ll receive negative responses from them. All Harry’s known is their kindness, but he’s worried that won’t extend to the kids of their enemies.

He meets Eric’s eyes with a nod as he realizes that he has to get over this fear. It is better to have them on his side rather than surprise them and get a negative reaction. 

“Thanks for your advice, dad.”

———-

Harry is a little shocked at how easy it is talking to Repunzel, Kuzco, and Anna about the villian kids. They were all a bit shocked at first, but once Harry reminded them that the people who hurt them would still remain locked up, they were more willing to support Harry’s law.

With each success, Harry’s confidence in his proclamation grows. He felt that it was the right choice, but every agreement he receives is more proof that it is right.

Of course, he did save the most difficult conversation for last. Niall is his best friend and Harry’s been the most worried about upsetting him. If Niall were truly opposed, Harry’s not sure if he’d be as interested in going through with this.

Niall is on the royal golf course working on his putting. Harry stands back against the cart and watches as Niall hits a ball, curses when it goes too far past the hole, and sets up another ball.

“What do you want, Harold? Can’t you see I’m busy.” Niall’s back is to his friend as he tries to line up the shot.

“Have something big I need to talk to you about.” Harry replies in a sigh. His response comes right as Niall swings, causing him to hit the ball at an angle, missing another shot.

Niall curses as he walks back over towards Harry. “Might as well listen to you, not like I’m making any progress over here.”

He greets Harry with a hug and a pat on the back. Niall pulls his hat down once they part. “What’s up, mate?”

Harry leans back against the cart as he thinks about how to start this conversation. Niall’s eyes bore into him, almost challenging him, which doesn’t make this any easier.

He sighs before finally starting, “as you know, my 21st birthday is coming up. As is customary, I’ve been trying to decide a proclamation to let the subjects have a glimpse into what kind of king I shall be.”

Niall smiles, “oh is that what this is about? I can help you find something if you’d like.”

For him, his law was a fairly easy choice. For as long as he’s been alive, Niall has tried to get to know the layman of his region.

He’d heard grumbles from quite a few of them about pay. Inflation has hit his region in the past few years, but the wage has remained stagnant.

Niall had met with a few economists to discuss what an appropriate reaction could be. They had decided on the castle giving every person of age a monthly payment to supplement their income.

His subjects were very happy with their increased fortune and, thankfully, there hasn’t been an increase in cost of living to go along with it.

Niall spent the better part of a year deciding on his law, between discussing the issue with his subjects and spitballing different methods to combat it with the economists. With Harry’s birthday a mere few weeks away, he’s definitely cutting it close.

Niall is already brainstorming possible proclamations when Harry shakes his head, “no, man. I’ve got one. It’s the same as you- it’s something I’ve grown up seeing as something that needed to be changed. If I have one thing to be remembered by, I want it to be something I’m passionate about.”

Niall’s face lights up, “that’s great man! So you came by to tell me about it?”

Harry nods and clears his throat. “I wanted to run it by the people who might be the most affected by it….” Niall’s face falls as he realizes that Harry means that it’ll be something that affects him.

“Well what is it? You’re not gonna go to war with us, are you?”

Harry’s eyes squeeze shut as he laughs. It takes a bit to subside from the joke, but Niall remains in front of him, arms crossed the entire time. When Harry catches his breath, he reaches out and pushes Niall.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t go to war with you. What do we even have to fight over? Whether Jasmine had a crush on you or me when we were 8?”

Niall doesn’t laugh and his posture remains unchanged. “What is it that’s going to affect me, Harry?”

Harry sighs and lets it out, “I want to give the villain kids a chance to redeem themselves.”

Niall stands up straight and his glare deepens, “that’s not a choice you can just make, Harry. It affects all of the kingdoms.”

Harry shrugs, “yeah, but my dad was the originator of the treaty. It’s up to him to make any changes to the original proclamation and he’s behind me on this.”

“So you just made this decision without consulting anyone else? They’re villains. They literally ruined our parent’s lives. They would try to come after us!”

“Except they’re not villains. Their parents are. The kids have done nothing.”

“Yet,” Niall mutters under his breath.

“We don’t know that, Ni! They could be good, just like you and I!”

Niall rolls his eyes and it’s clear to Harry how annoyed he is. He speaks slowly, as if he’s talking to a toddler. “But they could be evil. We’re going to give them the opportunity to come after us?”

“You and I could be evil,” Harry tries, even though he sees his words are falling on deaf ears, “all of us have the capacity for it. It’s not fair for them to suffer for wrongdoings they haven’t committed.”

“Tell me this, Harry.” Niall starts, his arms crossed on his chest, “if any of us have the capacity for evil, how come there’s not been any additional crime in any of the kingdoms since they were moved to Villanova?”

Harry’s mute because he doesn’t have an answer. He doesn’t know why nobody has caused crime since Villanova was founded, but he knows that it can’t be solely due to birthright. Evil isn’t born in a person.

“I don’t have an answer for you.”

“At least you know,” Niall scoffs, “please reconsider. I can help you find something else.”

Harry shakes his head, “No, I don’t have an answer. But that doesn’t mean that I still don’t believe in my heart that this is right. I’m going to do this and I’d love your support. Publicly, if nothing else.”

Niall’s eyes meet Harry’s, but his face doesn’t soften. “You have my public support, as always. But I can’t agree with this. I think you’re opening up all of us to attack by villains.”

“I know,” Harry whispers. “I know it’s risky. But it’s what is right.”

Niall sighs and nods, “then I support you.”

Harry returns his nod and hugs his friend. “Thanks Niall. And… I guess since it wasn’t clear, one of the people I’m bringing over is Anastasia’s daughter.”

Niall drops his friend’s embrace, “Anastasia? Like the daughter who tormented my mother? Helped abuse her for her entire childhood?”

Harry’s never seen the look of disgust on his friends face before and it feels like a knife in his chest. “Niall, I know. I’m not excusing Anastasia’s actions or any of the villains. They’re all terrible and deserve Villanova.”

“And how can you be sure her daughter is any different?” Niall scoffs.

“Think about it. What if Anastasia treated Amal as she did your mother? She could be an abused woman who deserves the chance to make her own life here.”

Despite his best efforts, Niall does start to see how Harry could be right. Perhaps the very actions that got the villains locked away led to them being bad parents.

Niall shakes his head, throwing those thoughts away. In the end, these people grew up learning lessons by the very people who hurt their parents. They could never be good.

“Like I said, I’ll support this publicly if asked. But I still have my reservations about it. That’s the best I can do.”

Harry nods, accepting what he can get. “Thanks Niall. It’s appreciated.”


	2. Chapter One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief mention of suicide. Please read with caution.

Amal walks the streets of the small island she calls home. The place is a wasteland, there’s really no other way to describe it.

Trash is piled on the sides of the streets, waiting for a trash collector that rarely comes. Supposedly, before she was born, things were a lot cleaner. Yzma goes on about how different things were in the first few years of the island.

Most of the villains didn’t even have to be moved here against their will. They had long grown tired of dealing with the people from the mainland, affectionately called mainies.

The villains created their own kingdoms, with most declining the royal life and choosing instead to open their own businesses or focus on work that was more pleasing to them.

Even though many of the problems that face the island today could have been avoided at the beginning, there was no reason to fight back. The mainland sent food deliveries once a week and there was more than enough to feed the island. Trash pickup was sporadic, but never long enough for an accumulation of trash to occur.

As the population grew, thanks to many of the villains having children, the problems worsened. The food sent was not enough to handle the new mouths to feed. The once a week delivery led to islanders fighting each other for the best food.

By the time any of the kids were old enough to remember, the food deliveries weren’t seen as a treat. The food they received were mostly rotten and never included the treats their parents told them so much about.

Rumors of a famine on the mainland led to some revolt. Why was it fair for them and their children to suffer from shortage of food when they could so easily create their own if the magical barrier weren’t in place?

Their screams fell on deaf ears. It’s hard to gather sympathy from a group of people who see you as vile.

By the time the census stopped almost a decade prior, all villains had accepted their new position. They were the outliers of society, thrown onto an island with no room to grow their own food and tossed the scraps the mainies felt were below them.

Each of the villain kids grew up in a world of poverty, foul food, and hopelessness. Amal was no different.

The library is filled with the stories of the heroes. It was filled when the first kids were born, as a way to encourage them to choose good rather than the evil they were born into.

Not that they were given much of a chance. They were isolated on the island just as much as their parents were and none of the mainies seemed to care a single bit about their welfare besides the census to keep track of who they were and how many were left.

Too many. Amal thinks as she puruses the bookstore in town for something to read beside the filthy stories that got them locked away on the hellhole.

Too often she’s chosen the History of Villanova, an unofficial guide put together by a few of their parents to tell the story of how they ended up here. Most of them had long given up on being saved from the atrocities being committed on the island. They hoped that one day, their stories would be found and their history taught to others. The prejudices their children are facing acknowledged and an agreement made to never let it happen again.

As if. Amal’s long since given up hope that anyone will pay for the crimes they have committed against her and her kind.

Amal places the history book back on the shelf and goes back to looking through the stories. She pauses when she comes across Cinderella, the story that got her stuck here.

Her mom is Anastasia, affectionately known as “the ugly stepsister.” Amal scoffs as she tosses the book on the ground on the other side of the room.

That story has ruined her life. Her mother could never escape her nickname. Even on the island, she was always called the ugly stepsister. Amal grew up seeing her mother as a shell of a person, her depression zapping all energy and life from her.

Anastasia was far from the worst Villanova had to offer. Among the kind, she was too mean and selfish to fit in. Among the wicked, she was too normal. Once she stepped foot on the island, her hopes of ever being accepted vanished.

In the beginning, she tried to be good enough to get the attention of the crown. At first, there were ways to get off the island and allowed back into society. However, it seemed like nothing she did was ever good enough. Story of her life.

She tried to settle down, but she was quickly left for someone much more attractive than her. Anastasia was left with a child in her womb and nothing else much going for her.

Still, she tried to be the best mother she could to Amal. She didn’t have many good parenting examples to go off of, but she tried her best. That was all Amal could ask for.

It was another decade full of trying before Anastasia finally stopped. After failing on both the mainland the island, she decided to stop trying to fit in. She killed herself almost a decade ago to the day.

Amal wipes at her eyes as the image of her mother fills her head. As you can imagine, the island didn’t have any funeral services in place. Amal had to bury her mom herself.

She’s blamed several people for her mother’s death over the years: the mainies, the islanders, her father, even herself. But the main person she’s always blamed is Cinderella herself. In creating her own story, she had to paint her sister as ugly, bitter, and unredeemable. That followed Anastasia around her entire life.

Amal kicks the book that snuffed out her mom’s will to live as she avoids the mirror on her way out. The worst part of all of this is how she’s constantly aware that she looks just like her mother. She also hates her reflection, but that’s where the similarities between them lie. Amal refuses to let the way she’s perceived end her life early. She won’t let a man ruin her the way her dad did to her mother.

She storms out of the bookstore and down the alleyway to her friend’s restaurant. Yosie is a master with baking and cooking. Since she was young, she used to try to collect seeds from the rotting food sent to the island.

She painstakingly worked to grow a small garden along the perimeter of her mother’s place. Now, it’s one of the only places that has fresh food on the whole island. Even though fresh food is in high demand, the villains respect her garden and don’t steal the food. Her bakery is instead frequented because of that. Even though Yosie yearns for the ingredients she reads about in the cookbooks in the library.

Each one contains pictures of wonderful recipes that Yosie dreams of baking one day. She’s aware that the things she makes, while good, are a far cry from the treats she reads about.

“Morning Amal,” Yosie smiles as her friend enters the bakery. “I’ve been working on these tarts, do you want to try them for me?”

“I’ll try anything you make, Yosie.” Amal responds as she makes her way around the counter and bites into the goodie. She moans as the flavor fills her mouth. “Honestly, if you ever wanted to poison me, you’d have no issue.”

“I’ll remember that.” Yosie winks at her friend jokingly before she starts to set out the tarts for display. She only makes a few dozen treats a day, normally an assortment of the recipes she’s perfected and sometimes new ones she decides to try.

There’s no money on the island and barter is the official exchange. Yosie’s treats are basically gold. Many of the Villain Kids have developed talents they can use to get what they need, but Amal is one of the unlucky few without any.

She’s lucky that Yzma took her in after her mother’s death and that Yosie is so kind as to always share her talents with her. Otherwise, she’d probably long be starved or followed in her mother’s footsteps.

Amal grabs one of the brooms and sweeps the floor of the bakery. She always tries her best to earn her keep, however she can. The best way she knows is to clean the bakery or their apartment above. She doesn’t have many talents, but she makes up for it with hard work.

Amal is sweeping when a loud buzzer goes off that seems to come from every point on the island. She turns around and her eyes are wide as Yosie runs to meet her in the middle of her bakery.

They hold hands as they hide underneath one of the tables. As long as they’ve been on the island, neither have heard a buzzer quite like this. They’re both ready to say goodbye as they await a missile blowing up their home.

Except they don’t hear an explosion. Instead, a voice is heard speaking about a new proclamation about to be made. Yosie’s eyes are wild as they meets Amal’s.

Slowly the two girls make their way out from under the table and outside. They pause as a huge video is playing overhead. They see many of their neighbors with the same shock written on their faces.

Internet and television are banned from the island. For all of them, this is the first time they’ve seen something like this. They’ve heard of it, stories whispered from their parents about these types of things. They never thought they’d be able to see it happen in person.

Yosie squeezes Amal’s hand as a handsome boy about their age appears on the screen. His hair is cut rather short with curls forming around his ears. His eyes are a bright shade of green and seem to bore into everyone. When he speaks, his deep voice vibrates through everyone on the island.

“Thank you for joining me today. I’m so happy to celebrate my 21st birthday and, as is tradition, I get to make a proclamation to the kingdom. As the youngest of my friends, I’ve watched them all make various laws with varying degrees of success, from Niall’s Income legislation to,” he pauses with a smirk on his face, a dimple set deep in his left cheek as he chuckles as he continues, “Louis’ Superhero Day.”

He pauses and clears his throat before continuing, “This is actually a historic ruling and as such, this is the first time we’re broadcasting this live to the island of Villanova, which this will affect.”

The screen cuts to them. It’s an aerial shot of all of them watching the screen. Before she can react, the shot of them is gone just as quickly as it came.

Amal feels the hairs on her arms stand on end as she meets Yosie’s eyes. She can see the fear reflected back on her. They’ve known for a long time that their living arrangement is far from sustainable, but neither anticipated in being told it’s about to end.

They squeeze each other’s hands tightly as their eyes return back to the screen. They’re helpless as they await their fate.

The boy rubs his hands together and continues on with his proclamation. “Since before I was born, the villains were locked away on an island, apart from the rest of us. Presumably for our own safety. While it has been likened to a jail, it makes sense for the people who have done us wrong: the villains who tormented our parents.”

All around, boos are thrown towards the sky. Amal and Yosie join in, mixing with the voices of the people around them, most of whom have strayed from the evil that brought their parents to this island.

Despite their protests, the boy continues, “But it’s not fair for their children who, like us, were simply born into this world. For all of my life, I’ve felt that it’s immoral for them to suffer for crimes their parents have committed. Because of this, I want to give some of them a chance to prove to us that they haven’t followed in their parents’ footsteps. This time next week, I will be sending in a team to bring the following four people into Atlantica, where they will live here at my castle and work in positions around the kingdom.”

The island is silent as his words permeate them all. He’s going to let them off. He’s giving them a chance to have a real life off this terrible island.

“I will be bringing Yosie, daughter of Yzma,” As soon as he says her name, Yosie screams and her arms wrap around her best friend. This is everything that she’s wanted. She can finally get real ingredients to make her pastries.

Yosie sits in shock, but nothing prepares her for Amal’s name being called. The two girls are back in each other’s arms as they realize that they get to do this together. They break apart and stare in silence at the rest of the island, who have gathered around with tears in their eyes to participate in their good fortune.

They catch the last part of their savior’s words, letting everyone know, “We hope that this first trial is a success and we can work on bringing all children of villains over, allowing them to integrate into our society and start to write their own destiny.”

Amal and Yosie can’t keep track of who is congratulating them, but they’re both aware of how much pressure is being placed on their shoulders. They will be part of the reason if everyone else is given a chance off the island as well.


	3. Chapter Two.

The week following the announcement is hectic. There’s hardly time for the two girls to stop and consider how they feel about the news.

If they had to describe it, they would say it’s a mix of excitement about being able to finally get off the island and anxiety that the mainland is going to be just as bad as their current home.

Every villain that they run into tried to calm their nerves by telling them stories of the mainland. Amal finds herself back in her trusty bookstore, flipping through the stories she’s hated for some glimpse at what her new home is like.

None of that calms her nerves though, because she’s aware that all of these stories are from decades prior. None of them give her an idea of what it’s going to be like now.

To ignore her ever increasing anxiety, Amal focuses on packing. It’s not that she has much to take with her as most of her possessions are items her mother left her. But it’s something to keep her mind off Atlantica.

Well, Atlantica and the other thing plaguing her mind: her looks. Her face is something that she has come to terms with her life, but it’s hard for her to not see Atlantica as a new start in every aspect. But it’ll require Yosie’s help.

It’s only on their final day before they’re set to be picked up by some of Prince Harry’s team that Amal brings it up to her.

“Yosie… do you remember when we were little and Yzma would tell us all about her potions?”

Yosie sits next to her suitcase. Her arms wrap around her legs as she brings her knees to her chest. She lets out a contented sigh as she nods, “Mom always loved playing around with different ingredients and finding out what magical properties worked together. Guess I got some of her genes huh?”

Amal scoffs and shakes her head, “no kidding. If your mom was anywhere near as skilled as you are, it’s no wonder she ended up on the island.”

Yosie blushes. She’s gotten compliments for her baking for as long as she can remember, but it’s never something she has gotten used to. “Thanks Amal.”

She picks at the skin on her thumb, an old nervous habit, before she looks up at her friend. “Why do you ask?”

Amal bites her lip and sits down across from her friend. “Well… you know, I take after my mom. The Ugly Stepsister.” She reminds her friend, even though those words will never sit right on her tongue. 

“I was just wondering if maybe she had a potion that could help me look better. It’d be nice to have a completely fresh start off the island.”

Yosie’s eyes are filled with sadness as she looks over Amal. She’s not conventionally attractive, but Yosie has always found her gorgeous. She notices the way that her eyes light up when she’s excited about something and the small dimple that appears on her cheek when she smiles super hard. There’s so much about her looks that’s so uniquely Amal that Yosie has grown to love.

Yet, she’s hesitant to tell her friend no. She’s seen how her looks have haunted Amal since they were younger. Some of the kids always taunted her about being ugly and it’s stuck with her. Yosie’s never had to be in the position Amal is with her looks and she considers herself lucky for that.

Despite her gut feeling, Yosie nods. “Mom has her old potions upstairs. None worked with the magical barrier but as soon as we cross, it should gain its powers back.”

The girls head into their apartment and Yosie digs through her mom’s potions and empties the Pretty Potion into an old container for Amal. The bright pink liquid is sparkling, even without the magic within it. Amal can already see the power it holds.

“There’s always a chance it won’t work,” Yosie warns. “I’m going to take mom’s potion book with me… just in case. We can make some new ones once we’re off the island.”

Amal nods and hugs Yosie tightly, “thank you so much for this. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

——

A group of six men come to the island to pick up the four chosen villain kids. All of them, except Amal, are visibly excited. Their bodies shake with anticipation as they hug their friends and families goodbye before climbing into the car.

Amal has hardly anyone to say goodbye to. Her only friend is Yosie, who is coming with her. In a way, she’s glad it happened like this. If Yosie went without her, Amal doesn’t know what she would do.

Amal waits by the car with a hood covered over her face. There’s cameras highlighting their journey and the last thing she wants is to be photographed as the Amal of the island. She’s banking on the Pretty Potion taking effect in time for her to introduce herself to everyone within her new home.

Amal slides into the car after Yosie and Gretchen and Henry soon follow.

“It’s not fair we’re the only ones who get to come here,” Gretchen whines as the cat starts to move. “I’m leaving behind so many of my friends, it’s not fair they’re stuck on the island.”

“It’s not for long,” Henry offers, “remember what Prince Harry said in the announcement. If we prove them right, they’ll bring all the kids over.”

Gretchen leans back on the seat with a loud sigh, “it’s a lot of pressure isn’t it? What if we mess up something small and it causes them to send us back and consider it a failed experiment?”

The car is silent as all four of them consider it. They know they’re headed into new territory and they could be judged on anything they do. They’ll be watched closely and that’s scary. 

Amal is lost in her worry that she forgets about her potion. That is, until she feels heat radiating on her leg. She reaches down to see what’s causing it when she catches sight of the potion sparkling. It looks as if an entire tube of glitter has been poured into it.

She quickly takes a swig of the potion. Her skin starts to feel like it’s bubbling from underneath. It’s painful and Amal has to grit her teeth to keep from screaming.

Yosie notices her friend struggling and holds her hand. She squeezes it tightly and Amal leans into her as she waits for the pain to subside.

As quickly as it came, it leaves. Amal pulls back from Yosie, but before she can ask if it worked, she catches her reflection in the window.

She slowly lowers her hood as she takes in her new face. The nose that she’s spent her whole life hating has shrunk, resembling what she’s always wanted it to look like. Her skin has cleared and her eyes brightened.

As she looks at her reflection, all she can think is I’m beautiful.

She hugs Yosie with a tear in her eye as she turns to the other two people going on this journey with them. Gretchen and Henry are both speechless as they see almost an entirely new person sitting next to them.

Amal wipes her eyes as she tells them, “I just wanted a chance to start over.”

The island is small and they both know about her mom. They nod and join her in a hug. 

“I think we’re all searching for a chance to start over,” Henry reassures her as their limo pulls into the castle.

——

Harry has the other four princes: Niall, Zayn, Louis, and Liam by his side as the limo pulls in. Thankfully, all four of them agreed to come today. He wanted to show the world, and his guests, that they were a united front for this proclamation.

For the most part, all of them except Niall were on his side. There was some dissatisfaction, but they quickly agreed to at least show up for support.

Niall, on the other hand, kept his answer until the last day. He has made it known that he’s not keen on even meeting the guests. But Harry begged and pleaded with him until he reluctantly agreed.

Harry is thankful he did, because he relies on all of them to calm his nerves. He reaches out and grabs both Niall and Zayn’s hands, who are on either side of him, as the guests step out of the limo.

Each person who exits the limo meets Harry first, introduce themselves, then moves to either side to a prince to escort them inside.

By the time Amal leaves the limo, the only people left outside are Harry and Niall. She greets Harry before moving to Niall, who greets her with an icy glare.

Amal’s nerves are getting the best of her and she tries to ignore how cold and unwelcoming his look is. She hopes that maybe it’s just his face. “Hi, I’m Amal.”

“I know who you are.” He snaps at her. He takes her hand like the other princes and leads her inside. “I’m only doing this as a favor to Harry, not because I actually believe you all should be here.”

Niall pauses and takes in Amal’s shocked demeanor before continuing, “For the record, I know who your mom is. I know what she did to my family,” he continues, “nothing you can do will make up for the fact that my mom grew up in tatters and treated like scum by the people she was supposed to call family.”

Amal pales as she realizes what he’s saying. “You’re Cinderella’s son?”

His blue eyes turn to meet her for the first time as he nods, “and you’re Anastasia’s daughter.”

Amal doesn’t know how to respond to him. She follows his lead quietly. She knew that sooner or later, they would run into the people who got their parents stuck on the island. Of course it would be just her luck that not only does she meet Cinderella’s son the first day, but he hates her already.

As Amal is led into the main ballroom of the castle, she searches for Yosie. She sees her deep in conversation with the prince who escorted her in. Amal glances around the room and notices that both Gretchen and Henry also seem to be getting along with their princes. The only person who seems to be having issues is Amal. not that that’s unusual.

Niall and Amal stand in silence until Harry is back in front of them. He clears his throat to get everyone’s attention.

“I’m so glad that this day has finally arrived. I think this is a great step we can take to unite our two nations. Over the next few months, I would love to get to know each of you personally.”

He pauses and his eyes meet each of the guests. Amal wonders if he can already see how uneasy she is. Maybe once he gets to know her, he’ll realize what a mistake it was to choose her to come. There are many other people who she’s sure would be better suited to be one of the first islanders to come to the mainland.

Harry’s eyes leave hers and Amal listens to the rest of his speech, “We’re going to have a feast with everyone here and then I’ll show you to your living quarters. Our goal is for you, and hopefully the rest of your kind, to integrate into our society. So we’ll go over some work assignments tonight and starting on Monday, each of you will start to live your new lives.”

All of them look at each other when Harry mentions a feast. On the island they barely have enough food to hold off hunger most days.

“Amal,” Yosie waves to try to catch her attention, “we’re going to have a feast. With actual food.”

“And it’s probably going to be fresh food,” Henry chimes in, “none of the rotten stuff we’ve gotten used to.”

“It probably still won’t be as good as your stuff,” Amal hugs Yosie, who gratefully leans her head into Amal’s shoulder.

Harry catches the eyes of his friends, who are all watching their guest’s interactions with saddened glances.

Even Niall’s frown deepened as they all realize that things are more dire on the island than they imagined. At the promise of a celebratory dinner, the guests are all extremely happy over just having food to eat.

Harry speaks up, asking the question that they’re all wondering. “Do you guys not normally eat?”

Gretchen shakes her head, “the food sent over is very limited. It might have been enough when it was just our parents, but…” she trails off and her words are left in the air unspoken. but not enough for their kids.

How often have they gone to bed hungry? Or gone days without eating? Harry wonders. He knew things weren’t as good as they were here, but he never imagined children actually starving on the island.

“The food is also bad,” Amal mentions, “none of it is fresh. Well, except for the small garden Yosie was able to raise. Anything you consider rotten, we’ve eaten just to survive: mushy apples, molded cheeses, spoiled milk.”

“I’ve found some recipes around it,” Yosie informs him, “things that taste good despite the rotten ingredients. But most people aren’t as lucky to know their way around the kitchen as I am.”

Harry’s green eyes soften as he takes in the stories he’s hearing. This is why he’s glad he has brought them to the mainland. He wants to hear their stories and know how to make it better for anyone who wishes to stay on the island.

He nods, knowing this is something he’ll have to deal with in the morning. “For now, let us enjoy the dinner that has been made for us. I promise they’ve used only the freshest ingredients. We can discuss ways to better life on the island after our celebrations.”

With heavy hearts and guilty consciousnesses, they agree. It’s difficult for them to enjoy the juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, and warm bread knowing that their parents and friends are miles away with empty stomachs.

Amal is torn between eating everything in sight and her stomach, which is aching from how full it is. She’s never had food quite as exquisite as they’re being served. She knows the other islanders are in the same boat from the way they’re scarfing down the food.

Nobody says anything to them until after dinner is served when the last fork hits the plate. Harry looks over each of their satisfied faces with a smile, “are you guys finished? I can bring out more if you’re interested.”

“As tempting as that is,” Henry starts, “I’m pretty sure we’ve all eaten more tonight than we have in a month. I think we should stop before we burst open.”

Harry nods, “as you wish. If the princes want to say goodbye, I can show you to your chambers. We can go over all of the details of this tomorrow once you’ve rested. I know you have all had a long day.”

—-

Amal sneaks to Yosie’s room once they’ve all been shown around the castle. Even though Harry has been more than generous with their rooms, Amal finds it difficult to sleep alone.

Yosie is sitting up waiting for Amal by the time she enters her room and climbs into bed.

“How you feeling, love?” Yosie asks quietly after Amal gets settled into the bed.

“Nervous. This is so much better than what we grew up with and I’m aware that it could be taken from us in an instant.” Amal chews on her bottom lip.

“Everything is so much better here, Amal,” Yosie starts, “and I’m aware that our goal is to integrate into society. Is that even possible when we’re starting so far behind everyone else?”

Amal sighs, “How hard is it going to be to pretend that this is all normal? I mean, we couldn’t even get through dinner without being in awe at how much food they had made.”

“And how good the food was. I mean, I anticipated trying to work as a baker, but how difficult will that be when these are the people I’m up against?” Yosie buries her face in the pillow.

Amal turns to her friend, ready to stop the pity party they’ve been throwing for each other. “Hey, don’t say that. Your talent is just as strong as it has always been. I’m sure you’ll be even better than they are once you have some time to study what they’re doing.”

“I guess.” Yosie whispers to the bed. She sighs and looks out the window. The moon even seems brighter on this side of the world. “I’m just scared that we’re going to fail, get sent back to the island, and be the reason nobody else gets to experience this.”

Amal nods. “That’s my biggest fear too.”

The two girls lapse hands and drift off to sleep as they try to ignore their growing fears.


	4. Chapter Three.

Amal and Yosie wake up with their backs pressed to each other. A glorious smell meets their noses and coaxes them out of bed. They follow the smell back to the dining room they were in the previous night.

Even though they had more than enough food yesterday to fill their stomachs, the smell of bacon causes a rumbling in the pit of their stomachs. They’re hungry again and can actually eat their fill.

“Man, I could get used to this,” Henry remarks as he follows the girls into the formal dining room. As the kitchen doors open, people flutter through to stock the table up with as much food as any of them have seen before.

Last night was ostentatious and they believed it was due to celebrating their first night in Atlantica. But this morning’s fare is just as full. It’s hard to believe how quickly they’ve gone from sleeping on wooden benches on empty stomachs to waking up on a feather bed with an entire spread of food waiting for them.

“Morning girls,” Harry greets them and then pauses, “and Henry.” His gait is so light that he almost skips to the front of the table. “Hope you all slept well.”

“It was marvelous,” Gretchen responds, “best night of sleep I’ve ever had. I can’t believe your guys' lives are like this.”

Henry, Yosie, and Amal mutter their agreements. It is hard to believe how much better life is in Atlantica over their home. It broods a dark feeling in the pit of Amal’s stomach that they could allow them such awful living conditions while they’re living in luxury.

“Glad to hear it,” Harry smiles, ignorant to the way the injustice of their lives are starting to form in their minds. He takes a plate full of food and motions for them to join him.

It’s only after they eat their fill and the workers have removed their dishes that Harry starts their conversation.

“So, part of this whole experience is integrating into society here. I wanted to make sure what you were doing interests you. I have had some discussions based on things learned from the census 10 years ago, but I didn’t want to go off that and you guys end up in things you absolutely hated. My hope is that you guys enjoy your jobs, get settled here, and become just as much a part of this land if you’d lived here your whole lives.”

Yosie is the first to speak up. Her voice is small as she offers, “I’d like to work in the kitchen. Doing something with baking, it’s always been my passion.”

“Perfect. I thought you could work with the kitchen staff here, we’ve got some amazing chefs you can work under. The pay is pretty nice too.”

“We get paid?” Amal asks, “and we’ll have money?”

Harry nods, “yes, we’ve got each of you set up with a bank account and we put some in it already. Of course, if you need any extra just let me know. I’m here to help.”

“How much do things cost?” Gretchen leans across the table as she asks, “we’re used to bartering. Will we have enough to buy things?”

Harry tries to hide the pain in his eyes as he realizes how much they’ve lived without. He knows he’s definitely far from the average citizen in Atlantica, but he knows even the poorest has never struggled like these four have.

and it’s all his parent’s fault.

They’re the reason that they’ve been shut out from the world, awed by a full meal, a decent bed, and something as small as a bank account.

Harry nods, his hand reaching out to cup Gretchen’s. “I promise, you’ll be able to buy everything you need as well as things you want. I promise I’ll take care of you.”

His eyes linger on Gretchen for a few seconds before he clears his throat and pulls his hands away. “I’ll take care of all of you.”

Gretchen nods a thanks before she offers up the job she wants to do. “I’d very much like to be a seamstress. I’ve worked with materials a bit, I was able to make clothes back home. It’d be nice to work with better materials.”

“I thought you’d prefer the hair salon?” Harry questions, “I saw that you worked with your mom at hers.”

Gretchen scrunches her nose, “no, that was mostly my mom’s work. I helped out here and there, but I’ve always geared more towards clothing.”

Harry nods, “then seamstress it is. There’s a wonderful shop here in town. I’ll check to see if she’s looking for an apprentice.”

Amal knows it’s now left to her and Henry. She’s not thought a lot about the kind of job that she would have here. She honestly doesn’t think there’s much she’s good at. Most of her life has been spent sticking to Yosie’s side and helping her out where she can.

Amal’s in her head, thinking about what she is going to ask for as Henry and Harry work through him working for the Castle Coach and helping plan out the games that routinely go on at the castle.

“Amal?” Harry’s voice pulls her back to the conversation when she realizes that it’s her turn.

Amal clears her throat and plays with the loose skin around her thumbnail to distract herself from the conversation she knows she’s about to have. “Honestly, I don’t think I’m very good at much of anything…. I’m fine with any job that you have available.”

“That’s not true,” Yosie harshly whispers at her friend. She turns to Harry, “Amal is amazing with books. She’s always reading and at the bookstore on the island. I think anything with books would be perfect.”

Yosie turns her head back towards Amal, “right babe?”

Amal reluctantly nods. She hates the thought of looking dumb, but Yosie is right. Now that she’s thinking about it, she would love the chance to work with books.

Harry leans back in his chair. This could be a great opportunity for him to get Niall on his side. Harry hated how his friend acted with his guests last night. These people are so grateful for this opportunity and Harry can see it in their eyes. He knows if Niall spent more time with them, he would come around.

It is a few seconds before Harry nods. “Actually, I know Cinderella has a wonderful library. She’s always recommending books when I go over. I can ask Niall if they’re looking for a librarian.”

Amal is hesitant to nod. She loves the idea of working in a library but !!Cinderella? Of course it had to be mom’s stepsister that she would work for. 

Plus, it’s not like Niall has been particularly friendly towards her. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. He’s made it quite obvious that he hates her and each of her friends.

Despite her dissatisfaction at having to work with Niall, she’s hesitant to bring it up to Harry. She doesn’t want to seem combative or ungrateful for all that he’s done for her.

Amal nods her agreement, “that would be lovely, thank you.”

—-

After breakfast, Harry leads the group down to the local shops. He planned for them to be able to grab some clothes to get them started.

Most of their clothes on the island are either homemade or bartered for. They have a handful of items that they rotate through until they outgrow them.

This is their first genuine shopping experience and they’re all left in awe at how many different styles they have to choose from. Even Yosie, who has never been into fashion or bothered with the clothes she wears, is fluttering between racks of clothes and picking out items that catch her eye.

Amal is drawn to a rack of brightly colored clothing. Her fingers run across a baby pink suit set. The fabric is softer than baby’s skin. She can’t believe that she has a chance to try it on.

Although she is hesitant to grow too accustomed to life in Atlantica, in case they get sent back, Amal finds it difficult to stop herself from indulging in the luxuries at the store.

She grabs the pink suit and a few other dresses that catch her eye. Amal heads into the dressing room and tries each item on. She twirls in each outfit and she’s almost lost in the process. It almost slips her mind that this just isn’t her.

From the clothes, which she would never be able to wear on the island, to her face, which is changed and morphed by the potion she consumed the previous night. It is almost as if she’s stuck in a fantasy life, where she’s a better version of herself.

Amal sits on the stool in front of the mirror and runs her fingers over her face. Her eyes slowly take in her face, her body, her clothes. She leans back against the side of the fitting room and sighs.

For the first time, she starts to regret taking the potion. She honestly didn’t expect things to be so different here. It would be one thing if the only thing that changed was her face, but it seems like overnight she has become an entirely different person.

A person who sleeps on a luxurious bed, has a complete spread of food every day, dresses in gorgeous bright clothes, and is pretty. She’s never felt less like herself. And despite how much she’s always talked down on her life, she realizes that being someone else doesn’t feel right.

Too late for that now.

Amal sighs and shakes her head. She stands up from the stool and grabs her items. Yosie catches her eye and, just like a best friend, can sense a change in Amal. Before she can ask about it, Amal takes her items to the cashier, “all of these please!”

Back at the castle, Amal finds herself in Yosie’s room again. She hangs her new items in her friend’s closet. It’s unspoken between them that they’ll be sharing the room from now on. Too much of their life has changed and neither are ready to start sleeping alone just yet.

“So,” Yosie starts as she runs her fingers through Amal’s hair. She lightly untangles the waves and starts to braid it as she continues, “do you want to talk about earlier?”

Amal sighs, “nothing gets past you.” She closes her eyes and her head instinctively moves into Yosie’s hands. 

One of her favorite things her mom did was braid her hair. After her death, Amal quickly learned the things that she was unable to do because her mom always took care of it for her.

Yzma noticed how stressed Amal got over her naturally tangled hair and would braid her hair for her. Over the years, Yosie slowly took over as the girls started to spend more time together.

Now, it’s comforting. In these moments, Amal feels like all her worries disappear. Yosie is almost done with her braid when she lets it all out.

“I was just having a small crisis. I feel like so much has changed over the past day.” She turns to Yosie as she sighs, “can you believe it’s only been a day?”

Yosie rests her head on Amal’s shoulder, “it’s a huge change isn’t it?”

Amal nods, “and with the potion too… I just didn’t recognize myself for a minute. Got a bit freaked.”

Yosie hugs her and sighs, “that’s understandable. Our lives have been practically turned upside down. And I understand it must be weird to look in the mirror at someone who isn’t you. But you’ll get used to it. It’s only been a day.” 

Yosie’s eyes train on the moon outside their window as she wishes, “I hope we’ll get used to it.”


	5. Chapter Four.

Monday comes quicker than Amal anticipates. She carefully dresses in one of the outfits she purchased on Saturday before heading down to the courtyard to meet her driver.

While her friends are all working in the kingdom, and two of them working inside the castle, Amal is the only one who has to make a trek across the kingdom for her position, which wouldn’t be too bad if she wasn’t nervous about the person she was working for. Each bump of the car grips at Amal’s stomach as she worries about her first day working for the Horans.

So far, she’s only met Niall, which was far from a pleasant experience. Amal hasn’t even met the person who she’s most worried about meeting: Cinderella.

This woman hates her mom and, by extension, her. Amal leans back in her seat and, not for the first time, considers asking for the car to turn around and take her right back to Villanova.

Unfortunately, the car pulls up in front of the castle before she has a chance to voice her request. Amal sits in her seat for a few minutes before she realizes that she needs to get a move on.

As she exits the car, she takes a deep breath and looks over the castle. It looks much more of a traditional castle than Harry’s does. The layout of the buildings are more rectangular, while Harry’s are rounded off. There’s more windows than Amal can count on both hands and she’s stuck in place as she takes in the magnificent castle in front of her.

It’s a far cry from how she grew up. She effectively lived in a shotgun house, with only one bedroom that she shared with her mom. There was a tiny kitchen and a living area that held a bookshelf. It was those books that started her lifelong love of reading.

Of course, once her mom passed, Amal moved in with Yzma and Yosie into their small apartment over the treatshop. She didn’t even have the room to bring the bookcase with her. It probably ended up being taken by the new family that moved into her childhood home or tossed out on the street. 

“Miss Amal?” A voice pulls her out of her head as she sees a beautiful woman with a pixie cut headed her way. “I’m Flora. I’m the manager of the castle staff. I’ll show you around for the day.”

Amal shakes her hand and introduces herself. The two women head into the castle and Flora starts a tour of the rooms that she’ll spend the most time in. She starts with the break room on the other side of the kitchen, where she’ll be allowed to take her lunch each day. The kitchen, where the staff graciously provide food for the rest of the castle staff each day.

That’s good. One less thing Amal has to worry about. She didn’t even think ahead about bringing lunch today. Having food on hand is still something she’s getting used to. If it came to it, she figured she could always skip lunch and meet up with her friends for dinner back in Harry’s castle. Except now she won’t have to. Once again, she’s being taken care of more than she ever was back on the island.

“Thank you.” She mutters to Flora. Amal can’t even begin to describe how much this means to her.

Flora waves off her gratitude and shows her where the bathrooms are before taking her into the main attraction: the library. Amal gasps as she takes in the room.

The walls are dark rock, much like all of the exterior of the castle. There’s bookshelves nestled against the walls with stairs leading to three stories of books. There’s additional bookshelves surrounding the middle of the room with little signs pointing out what type of books are shelved there.

It’s overwhelming how many books there are. Amal has read every book on the island, some a few times over. Looking at the massive collection in the castle makes her feel as if she’s a novice to falling into a good book. She’d never be able to finish every book here if she tried.

Flora let’s Amal wander around the room for a few minutes before she leads her to a computer at the front on the oak desk. “So this is where you’ll be working. Most of the items are catalogued already, but you’ll be in charge of making sure it’s up to date and making sure all books are accounted for.”

The next few hours are spent with Flora running Amal through the program, pulling a few different books to ensure that things are still set up correctly, and then Flora is gone.

Amal is all alone in her dream room, surrounded by books she never knew existed a few weeks ago. She starts her work, making sure that each book is in the proper spot as assigned by the program.

She checks a few dozen before one stops her in her tracks. It’s a yearbook from back before the island existed. Amal can’t turn down her curiously as she sits on the ground and flips through the book.

Amal pauses on the page she was hoping to find. In a small black and white picture is her mother. Amal pulls the book as close to her face as she can as she tries to memorize every line of her mom’s face, which has grown fuzzier in her memory with each passing year.

There were no cameras available on the island, so the only way she’s ever been able to remember her mother is through her own memory. This is the first time she’s ever seen her captured in film.

Her mother is younger than Amal is now, but not by much. She must be 16 or 17 years old by this time. Her long, dark hair is braided to the left of her face and her crooked smile is wide, showing all of her misshapen teeth.

Tears run down her cheeks as Amal runs her fingers over the small picture. It’s been years since she’s seen her mom. The pain of losing her has never subsided and it aches just as strong in her chest now as the day she found her.

Amal hates to vandalize books, but she tears out the page and carefully folds it up in her pocket to take back to her new home.

The bell symbolizing lunchtime rings through the castle and Amal carefully replaces the book, wiping her wet eyes, before heading to the break room for lunch.

—-

Niall loves how quiet the castle gets during the lunch break. The usually bustling staff all get a much needed break and the whole of the castle tends to just stop for an hour.

Normally, Niall uses this time to explore the place. He’s lived here his whole life and he knows the place from top to bottom, but he still finds himself taken aback from time to time about how much the place actually holds.

Lately, he’s been filling this time with trips to his mom’s favorite place. Cinderella and Charming have been traveling quite a bit lately and Niall finds himself being drawn to the places that reminds him of them. It’s a way for him to stay close to them while they’re gone.

He walks the familiar path to the library and climbs the ladder to the 3rd floor. The chair in the corner of the loft has become his favorite place to sit and read. Thankfully, not many people come in here except the staff so the book he left yesterday is still sitting underneath it. He flips to the place he ended his reading the prior day and continues the riveting story of a man isolated from his family and forced to step up to save them.

As usual, Niall gets lost in the story and loses track of how long he’s been in the library until he hears the door open. Which is a bit unusual, as the former librarian, Ms. Fitzwitch retired a few weeks back. Since, Niall’s found himself spending hours in the library each day uncertain of how much time has passed.

He returns his book to the spot under his chair without a second thought, sure that Flora has finally found a replacement for her. Niall usually chooses to stay out of the way of the staff, as he doesn’t want to be a hindrance to their work.

He makes his way down the ladder and is about to introduce himself to the new librarian when he freezes dead in his tracks because in front of him is someone he hoped to only see when he visits his friend’s place,

“What are you doing here,” Niall spats in Amal’s direction. His glare is icy and Amal can feel her bones chill from it.

“I-I work here,” she stutters, unable to be rude back to him. He is kind of her boss, since he owns the castle. Plus, what if he disagrees with her hiring? Would she get sent back to Villanova? “Harry said you needed a librarian.”

Niall scoffs, “Of course you do.” He runs his fingers over his eyes and sighs. Now he’s more stressed than when he came in. Reading in the library always relaxed him and this has just ruined that.

He turns back around and heads back up to his loft. “Don’t let me keep you.” He mutters over his shoulder.

Niall falls right back in his chair, but doesn’t even pick up his book. He listens to the clack of her shoes on the floor below him as he stares out the window.

He imagines his mom were here now, she’d probably get on him about being rude. Cinderella would probably empathize with Amal. Niall finally grabs the book underneath his chair and tries to read, ignoring the thump of his chest telling him that he needs to be nicer to her. He knows it’s what his mom would want, but it’s not fair that she gets to run wild and live it up like her mother didn’t torture his.

Niall was starting to come to terms with the fact that Harry was going to allow them to live off the island they grew up on, safety away from the rest of the population, but he never expected him to have the daughter of the woman who tortured his mother to work in the castle.

Without a second thought, Niall grabs his phone and pulls up his friend’s contact page. He’s sure his voice travels as he takes the call, but he doesn’t care if Amal hears. “You put her to work at my home?!” He screams as soon as Harry picks up.

Harry’s voice is steady and almost too calm. It’s as if he’d practiced this very call. “Niall, she said she wanted to work around books and I knew you needed a new librarian.”

Niall leans back in his chair and scoffs, “and what? Every other bookstore was closed down?”

“Yours was just the first one I thought of.” Harry tries to reason, but Niall’s not having it.

“That’s bullshit Harry and you know it. You have some master plan for this and I can see through it. I’m not a naive boy anymore who just goes blindly along with your plan.”

The end of the line is silent and if it weren’t for Harry’s breathing, Niall might have thought he was hung up on. Harry takes almost a full minute before he relents, “you’re right, Niall. There’s a reason I sent her to your castle.”

There’s another pause and Niall knows his friend enough to know Harry is probably tugging on his hair, an old nervous habit. Niall closes his eyes, but gets impatient at how long this is taking. “Well?”

There’s a deep sigh before Harry continues, “I just want you to stop hating this on principle alone. I’ve spent a few days with them and they’re just like us, except they grew up on the island, which is much worse than the stories we heard. They’re thankful they get to even eat, Niall.”

A pit forms in Niall’s stomach as he feels sorry for them once again. He hates this tug of war between how mad he is that the kids of the people who hurt their parents are able to roam free with feeling sorry for the meager conditions in which they lived.

“Harry-“ Niall pleads, his voice begging him to just take her somewhere else. He doesn’t want to deal with this.

“Niall, please. I just want you to see that they’re real people. They’re not their parents. Please, just give her a chance and try talking to her some. I just want to show you that they’re worth trusting in.”

Niall scoffs and he’s on the verge of agreeing when he sees Amal on the ladder into the loft. He rolls his eyes and puts the phone down, “what? Easedropping on my conversation?”

Amal’s voice is quiet. She could hear him even in the back corner of the room, but she wanted to plead with him. “I-I just wanted to ask that you let me keep this job. I promise I’ll stay out of your way. But I don’t want to get sent back to the island.”

Niall sighs, “fucking hell. I’m too nice.” He puts the phone back up to his ear, “fine Harry. She can work here.” He clicks off and tosses the phone in his pocket before grabbing his book from under the seat.

He almost misses the thank you Amal sends him before she retreats back to her spot on the main floor. She sits back down on the floor as she continues to leaf through the yearbooks searching for any mention of her mother.


	6. Chapter 5.

Amal’s first week passes by much the same as her first day. She spends the mornings in the library by herself and by the time she gets back from lunch, Niall is up in the loft reading. He’s normally still there by the time Amal’s driver comes to pick her up at the end of the day. They have very little interaction with each other otherwise.

It should make her happy that at least she doesn’t have to hear the snide comments from him, but instead she finds herself more on edge. They’re sharing the same room for most of the day, several days in a row, without sharing even so much as a “good afternoon.” It’s unnerving, to say the least.

The following Monday, Amal psychs herself up to say something to him- anything. When she returns from lunch, she hears the familiar turning of pages from the loft.

She makes her way up the stairs and clears her throat. Niall almost jumps out of his skin and the glare he gives her is one of contempt as he lowers his book, “Can I help you?”

Even though all of Amal’s senses are screaming at her to apologize and turn away, she can’t. Despite how much she hates it, she’s curious about him. She’s never met someone who can spend hours on end-every day- with a book quite like he can.

“Just curious what you’re reading.” Amal bites the inside of her cheek, hoping he doesn’t react negatively or tell her off for interrupting him.

Niall rolls his eyes and marks his page before handing her the book. Amal grazes the back cover and is shocked that it’s actually one of the few that was on the island. “Oh, I’ve read this actually. The characterizations are phenomenal, the author really let the characters tell the story.”

Niall narrows his eyes, almost untrusting of the person in front of him. “Not many people have read this…”

At least amongst his friends, it’s true. Although to be fair, most of them don’t read very often. Zayn will get lost in a book here and there, but he’s not one to really talk about the story with Niall.

Amal shrugs, “it was one of the ones available on the island…. guess I got lucky I’ve read it. I’ve only been working here for a week and I have already been exposed to so many different stories.”

Niall has the voice of Harry in the back of his head, urging him to get to know Amal. Part of the reason why he continues the conversation is to placate his friend, but there’s a part of him that’s genuinely curious. “What other books have you read then?”

“Well, honestly, not many. There was a shortage of books on the island. I think there was maybe a total of 70 in the bookstore by the time I was old enough to pluck books from the shelves myself. I love reading, but you know that not every book is good. I only really had seven that I kept coming back to.” Amal ticks the titles off on her fingers.

Niall places his book on the floor next to him as he leans closer to Amal as the conversation starts to pique his interest. “So you read all 70 books?”

Amal nods, “Not much else to do around the place, you know?”

Niall clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck as he admits, “I don’t know, actually….”

The silence between them spreads as the conversation drops. Amal is about to head back to the main floor and appreciate the conversation they had when Niall speaks up, “I guess this is what Harry wanted me to do.” He laughs nervously.

“What’s that?” Amal asks. She knows that Niall and Harry were close, but Harry has only briefly asked Amal about how Niall was doing during their dinners each night. She didn’t realize that Harry was having conversations with Niall about her.

Niall’s cheeks flush red as he admits, “he’s kind of been hounding me to talk to you more… learn more about Villanova. Thinks it’d change my mind about how I feel about you guys coming over here.”

Amal is silent as she thinks about what he’s saying. Harry’s never pushed her to open up to Niall, but maybe he’s right.

Niall clears his throat, “not that it matters what I think. Harry’s in charge of this whole process.” He rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. “Could be completely bloody against it and it wouldn’t make a damn difference.”

Amal chews on the inside of her cheek as she considers how to respond. Honestly, she’s content with how the conversation has gone so far. The fact that he didn’t immediately shut her down exceeded her expectations.

“For the record, I think your opinion matters.” Amal tells him softly, “And I hope all of us are able to show you that you have nothing to worry about.”

She waits a few minutes for a response and when one doesn’t come, she moves her way back down the stairs to continue cataloging the books until she receives a message from her driver letting her know he’s outside.

Amal signs out of the computer and is about to leave as usual when she hears Niall call from his loft, “have a nice night.”

It’s a small step, but it’s miles above where they were last week. Amal considers it a win.

———

Even though Niall seemingly offered an Olive branch that day, the following two are right back to their old pace. Amal doesn’t try to bother him again, not wanting to push her luck.

It isn’t until Thursday that she speaks to Niall again. She expected it on Tuesday, after he told her to have a nice night. On Wednesday, she still hoped he would say something. Thursday, she had resigned it to being what it is.

So she didn’t expect for Niall’s voice to be right behind her as she was on the floor in front of one of the nonfiction shelves. “Amal?”

Amal jumps at the sound of his voice. When Niall’s laugh rings out, her entire face turns red all the way to the tips of her ears.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Niall says gently as his laughter dies down. “Just wanted to know if you could help me.”

“Oh, um of course. With what?” Amal stammers out, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“I finished my book and was wondering if you could find me one of those you said you read on the island…” Niall rubs the back of his neck, “when you were talking about them, I honestly hadn’t read any of them. Thought I should probably give it a go.”

Immediately, Amal forgets how nervous she is at interacting with the person who is effectively her boss as she knows exactly which book to give him. It’s her absolute favorite. The copy on the island was completely worn by the time she was brought here. 

She heads to the computer and types in the search. “Oh you do have it!”

Amal follows the barcode to the correct spot in the stacks and pulls it for him. “I think you’ll enjoy it a lot. It’s got a pretty heavy subject matter, but the author is amazing at keeping the characters and storyline light, so it never feels overwhelming.”

Niall nods, taking the book from her. He bites at the dead skin around his thumb before offering her a thanks. He’s about to retreat back to his loft when he clears his throat and turns back to her. “Have you been able to read much since you’ve been here?”

Amal shakes her head, “Things haven’t really settled back at Harry’s yet… We’ve been able to explore a bit, but I haven’t the first idea where the closest bookstore is.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s hard getting used to an entirely new town. But if you want, you’re welcome to borrow books from here,” he offers. Niall knows that he loves getting lost in a good book and he gets the feeling from Amal that she’s the same way. 

“Actually, why don’t you start with one of my favorites.” He walks robotically to the section that houses the book he comes back to time and time again. He knows exactly where it’s at in the catalogue and pulls it out. “I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.”

He retreats back to his spot in the loft and Amal holds the book close to her chest. She knows that he’s at least trying to connect with her and she appreciates it. She also has to admit that she’s excited to get back into reading.

It’s been so long since she’s gotten to read a new story. As soon as she’s in the car on the ride home, she opens the book to the first page.

Amal is transfixed by the story and spends the entire ride home reading. She reluctantly pulls her nose out of the book to go to dinner with the rest of her friends.

Harry is quick to notice the book Amal carries with her and places next to her plate. He knows the cover well, he’s seen Niall carrying it around more than a few times in his day.

Harry has to bite back a smile as he realizes that his friend has finally given into his wishes and started talking to Amal. He knows Niall is reluctant to trust a villain kid, but there’s at least a tiny bit of progress if Niall is letting her borrow his favorite book.

——

Amal and Yosie share a look as they notice Harry and Gretchen sneaking off after dinner together yet again.

“That boy is smitten!” Yosie giggles as they climb into the bed they share. “Everytime he looks at her, it’s like his face lights up.” She lays on the bed, her long blonde hair falling down the edge of the bed.

Amal climbs into bed next to her friend with a smile, “and Gretchen is so oblivious to it. I swear, she keeps telling me he’s such a good guy, a great friend, they have so much in common. It’s like we’re bystanders watching someone else’s romance novel play out.”

Yosie sighs and Amal notices her smile slowly vanish as she asks, “do you think we’ll ever have something like that?”

Amal ponders that question. She admits, she’s spent quite a bit of time over the years wondering if she’d ever find love.

On the island, it seemed impossible. The population was fairly small, they knew everyone they grew up with. There was nobody that really caught her eye.

Some of her peers did date around and some fell in love. There were even a handful that already had kids of their own, the grandkids of the island.

Amal always figured she’d end up settling one day. She liked the thought of having something. If that meant marrying someone because he was the only one around, then she would do it.

Her only other alternative was to be alone forever, which seemed horrible. It was also the more likely option, given how unattractive she is. Amal knows she’d be lucky for anyone to look past her features and give her a chance, much less actually fall in love with her.

Now, though, things have changed. She’s beautiful. Amal can stomach looking at herself in the mirror and she finds herself checking any reflective surface she passes. She’s still not gotten used to her new exterior.

That, coupled with the growth in their anticipated dating pool, means that she could reasonably have an actual relationship with someone. Of course, that also means that they’d actually have to go out and meet people. So far, the only men she’s interacted with are Niall and Harry. Harry’s clearly infatuated with Gretchen and Amal still feels like Niall hates her, even if he’s being nice to her and talking to her about books.

Amal sighs, her dark eyes falling on her friend, who also seems lost in her head. “I think we will…. This has opened up a whole new world for us. Things are changing so rapidly. We’ll probably all be married before we know it.”


	7. Chapter 6.

Niall is in his loft by the time Amal comes back from lunch. Amal quickly takes the stairs and places the book in front of him, “this is so good.”

“Wait, did you already finish it?” Niall asks, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. It’s not a short book and he expected it to be a few days before Amal was going to complete it.

“No!” She groans as she sits on the edge of the loft. “And I hate it. But I’ve read a hundred something pages so far and I’m hooked.”

Niall laughs. He understands that feeling well, especially with that book in particular. Every time he reads it is like the first time and he finds himself on the edge of his seat.

“Well, if you want to read it now, I won’t tell anyone.”

Amal’s eyes go wide as she looks around at the empty library. She’s been here about a week and a half now and she knows that nobody except Niall comes in. 

She knows that nobody would catch her and, honestly, it was a struggle for her to not sneak a few chapters in earlier in the day. So she pulls herself up into the loft and sits in the chair opposite Niall. “If you insist.”

Amal grabs her book and the two of them spend the rest of the afternoon reading their books in silence. Even though the book is captivating, Amal finds herself peeking over the cover of the book to watch Niall.

He’s completely engrossed in the book she gave him. His eyes scan each page and Amal notices that he carefully cradles each page before turning it.

Niall’s eyes dart up to meet hers and Amal’s cheeks turn red as she tries to hide the fact that she was watching him. She doesn’t know why she likes watching him read. It seems like he’s just so into the story in a way that she’s never seen someone else.

Plus he’s reading a story she recommended and one that she has read a dozen times. She’s got so many questions in her head- what part of the story is he at? Is he enjoying it? Does he find the love story as sweet as she does?

All questions she wishes she could voice to him but she can’t. They’re not friends. In fact, Amal is still unsure whether he hates her or tolerates her or is even coming around to being friendly towards her. It’s a weird balance and she doesn’t want to ruin it by asking him a million questions while he’s trying to read.

Amal chances another look at Niall and he’s back to reading the book. She leans back in her chair and tries to get back into the story, but she finds herself reading the same paragraph over and over.

She’s thankful when her phone pings letting her know that her ride is here. She waves a silent goodbye to Niall as she makes her way out of the castle to the waiting car.

Amal leans back against the car seat with a heavy sigh. The ride back to Harry’s castle feels longer than normal as she tries to keep her mind off of Niall.

She never expected to come around to him after how rude he was to her at first. However, she’s never had someone to read with. Sure, other people on the island would come into the bookstore and read. But there were none that she felt that she could talk about books with.

Except that they’re not exactly at that stage. Right now, they’ve just recommended each other books, but Amal can’t help but get excited about the possibility of having someone to talk about her favorite stories with.

—-

Amal walks the familiar path of the castle from where she stays in Yosie’s room to the kitchen. Her hair is tossed up in a bun and she’s got a thick green paste on her face from where her and Yosie are doing face masks using some of the ingredients they got from the town.

It’s been almost a month since she left Villanova and Amal has started to get used to her new home. After work each day, Yosie and Amal have taken to walking into town and exploring it a bit. Everything is so new to them and they’ve had fun buying a few items with their wages to try out.

Amal opens the fridge and grabs a drink. When she closes the door, she yelps. Harry is behind the door and his eyes grow wide as he takes in the sight before him. A loud giggle escapes his lips before he smirks as he leans against the wall, “looking good, Mally.”

Amal rolls her eyes. She hates that dumb nickname, as she’s told him time and time again. “Shut up, Styles.”

“Never,” Harry sticks his tongue out at her before he grabs the fridge and grabs the items he needs from it to make his late-night snack. He works on his sandwich before he turns back to Amal, “Are you girls doing anything tomorrow?”

Amal shakes her head as she sits on one of the stools across from Harry, “Nope, Yosie and I were thinking of just heading back into town. My paycheck from Niall finally hit, so I was hoping to try to find some new outfits for work.”

Harry shakes his head, “well, if you want to explore like a local, I was going to show Gretchen the enchanted lake. It’s a secluded spot right outside of town. We used to go there to swim when we were younger. You girls and Henry are welcome to join.”

Amal raises her eyebrows and teases him, “you sure you want us to intrude on your and Gretchen’s alone time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry tries to deflect, but the bright pink flush of his cheeks tells Amal that he knows exactly what she’s talking about.

Harry turns away from her to put his food back into the fridge. Thankfully, the cool air calms the blush creeping through his face. When he turns back around, his face is back to a normal color. “But, it’s a wonderful place. I think you guys would like it.”

Amal smiles, “Well, we’d love to come then. It’d be nice to explore past the town.”

“Great, see you tomorrow.” Harry smiles and bites into his sandwich as he heads back to his quarters.

——

Yosie and Amal are already in their swimsuits as they wait in the foyer for the other three. They all agreed last night to meet up at 10, but Yosie was excited about the possibility to get back into water.

On the island, there was a hidden oasis that the pair loved to go to on hot summer days. They wasted entire months floating through the water and gossiping about some of the boys around the island.

Yosie spent most of the night wondering if this place Harry was about to show them was similar. They’ve been away from home for so long at this point that they’re missing the good things about their home. 

Amal hopes that the new lake that Harry is taking them to is like their old place. It’d be nice as the weather turns warmer to have a place to go to and swim.

Yosie checks the time on the clock above their heads right as Harry and Gretchen enter the foyer. “Y’alright?” Harry asks them.

Yosie covers her mouth as she tries not to laugh at the short pink shorts with pineapples that Harry is wearing. “Cute shorts.”

Harry ignores her laughs as he takes the compliment. “Thanks, they’re my favorite. I know you meant that compliment wholeheartedly.”

“Without a hint of sarcasm,” Yosie offers back.

Some of Harry’s other staff bring some baskets into the foyer and he thanks them all by name as he divvys out the baskets to each person to carry to the Enchanted Lake.

“Oof,” Henry groans as he grabs his basket, “what’s in this thing?” 

“Got some items for lunch, plus essentials like sunscreen and towels.”

“Are we having a whole feast? This thing is heavy,” Henry grumbles.

“If it’s too heavy for you, I can carry it,” Harry shrugs as he takes the backet from him without an ounce of struggle. Henry’s eyebrows furrow, but he doesn’t complain and grabs one of the lighter baskets.

“Ok, enough conversation. We’re wasting valuable daylight hours. This way!” Harry points towards the entrance and leads the group through the town.

They take the easternmost path through the village. Amal and Yosie follow the group and point out various places that they pass that they’d like to explore more later. They’ve mostly stayed closer to the castle as they’ve wandered around after work. Amal has seen more of the town as she heads to Niall’s castle each day for work, but they take the western road, so all of these sights are new to them both.

It’s a half hour walk from the castle to the edge of the forest. Their view turns to just trees as they walk deeper into the forest. “Um, Harry. Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Gretchen asks nervously.

They’re all aware how easy it would be to lose track of their way when everything looks the same. Gretchen looks up to Harry, who looks sure of himself. He takes her hand and squeezes it with a smile, “yeah, once you make the trek a few times, you know your way easily. Promise you all are safe with me.”

It’s another ten minutes before they come to a clearing with the most gorgeous, crystal clear lake. “Wow,” Yosie whispers. It shits all over the watering hole they were used to as kids. “This place is amazing.”

Harry smiles and turns back to them, “I knew you guys would love it. It’s worth the long walk!”

He leads them down to the dock at the edge, which has a few small tables on it. Harry places his basket on one of the tables and he pulls out the food for lunch. “Wanna eat and then we can go for a dip?”

They all agree and Amal grabs one of the preprepared sandwiches and sits next to Yosie. “This place is incredible.”

Yosie nods and her eyes are wide as she tries to take in the whole place. “We’re definitely coming here more often. Imagine spending our summer on the edge of the lake, sunbathing and working on our tans?”

Amal nods, “you did good, Styles. This one time, at least.”

Harry shakes his head and scoffs, “don’t know why you guys don’t trust me!”

The group eats as they excitedly talk about their future trips to the lake. All of them are buzzing to get into the water, so their food is quickly scarfed down and put aside.

Amal is the first in the lake. She runs off the dock and dives straight into the cool water. When she comes up, she wipes at her face. Her vision takes a few seconds to clear and when she looks up, she notices a shocked look on Harry’s face. “What the fuck?”

Amal is confused and looks to Yosie, whose hand is covering her mouth. Her eyes are wide and she whispers, “the potion has worn off.”

Instantly, it hits Amal why her friends all look shocked and confused. She’s no longer the beautiful girl they’ve come to know over the past month. Instead, she’s the hideous person she was born as.

“Don’t look at me!” Amal screams as she swims to the edge. She runs into the forest and pauses to catch her breath as she leans against one of the trees.


End file.
